Anyone who has read my ramblings here in “From the Swamp” on a semi-regular basis knows that I am a pickup hoops junkie. Whenever I get down to UD to see the elder Swampette or on business, I usually include a pilgrimage to the PAC. During the week, I try to get to the local YMCA in Birmingham at least once to partake of a lunchtime run that has been going on for over 25 years, although I’ve only been going there for 10. In the summertime on weekends, you can find me at the playground down the street at Groves HS.

Pickup basketball isn’t just exercise to me, it’s therapy. I’m not a runner and never have been — with these dinky legs, it’s easy to see why. My dad once referred to me as “Lump the Stump” as opposed to “Wilt the Stilt.” I’m not much for lifting or exercise machines, either. We have a perfectly good Nordic Trak in our basement, but I stopped using it years ago because it just was not any fun.

What’s odd is that I really didn’t start playing hoops until I was 12 years old. Prior to that, it was baseball, 24/7. Like most kids, I began by playing in friends’ driveways, eventually graduating to the legendary Bennett School playground in my hometown in Massachusetts, where you could find a game just about any day of the year unless there was ice on the court. I played in summer leagues at Bennett and winter leagues at the Y. When I got to HS, I played CYO ball rather than trying our for the HS team, knowing that no coach was looking for a 5’7″ slow white kid. That is, until my senior year, when I took the plunge and tried out, only to be the last guy cut, as chronicled in an “FTS” back on the old FlyerHoops.com website.

When I arrived at UD in 1968, I literally majored in pickup basketball out in the hangar at University Hall and my GPA showed it. Our RA later told me that he had fingered me as one of the guys on our floor who wasn’t going to survive freshman year. I played intramurals. Pickup ball in the Fieldhouse and outdoor ball at Stuart.

My wife and I moved to Pittsburgh in 1978 and that’s really when my pickup game, well, picked up. I used to play out at South Park (still do when I’m in town on business) and got involved with a bunch of guys who had a regular run at a HS gym. All of a sudden at age 28, I started to play at another level. I shot much better, handled the ball with confidence and played defense well. 3 years later, we moved to Michigan and my game continued to improve. I started playing at a playground in the city called Peterson Park at 6 ½ Mile Road and Greenfield. I got the basketball education of my life from a small-time drug dealer named “Sed” who beat me every single time we played one-on-one over the course of several summers. The guys started calling me “Bird” for a few obvious reasons-I was white and I was from Boston-and I didn’t mind.

What’s amazing is that today, at age 52, I still think my best basketball is ahead of me, not in the rearview mirror. Basketball keeps me young. As someone once said:

“Did you get old because you stopped playing hoops or did you stop playing hoops because you got old?”

If I never stop, I’ll never get old, right?

At the playground, I run with HS guys, most of whom are friends of the younger Swampette’s. A few weeks back, I got to play with Vova Severovas, the 6’6″ All-State PF, who just happens to be headed to Wright State. I can’t tell you how much fun it is to play with a big guy like that! I was able to assist on a few dunks and even made the winning 3 pointer in one game. Vova was getting the crap beat out of him, but took it all in stride. He’s going to be an impact player at WSU.

The next week, I got to play with Giordan Watson, Vova’s PG running mate at Groves. Giordan is listed at 5’10” but I have to tell you, in reality he’s shorter than me. That didn’t stop him from jamming on several occasions, as our team of 4 short guys and one 6 footer took on and beat all comers for 5 games in a row. The opposition kept leaving Giordan open for 3 pointers and he kept hitting them. Each time we won, the team with “next” got progressively bigger and better. But we kept winning. Finally after 5 wins, 5 massive guys beat us-the guy I was covering was 6’3″ and about 240. It was fun while it lasted. The younger Swampette says that I embarrass her by playing with her friends, but I told her it would be much worse if I went there and didn’t know how to play. Like I tell her, don’t worry — I represent.

Hooping with ‘V’ and ‘G’ was fun, but hardly the highlight of my pickup career. Over the years, I’ve played with guys like Negele Knight, Vinny Johnson, Johnny Davis’ brother, Ryan Perryman, Jeff Grayer and a bunch of HS and college used-to-bes, has-beens and never-weres.

It sure beats running!